DEVELOPERS have ignored a substandard motorway junction in their traffic assessment for the massive rail freight terminal they want to build, according to a residents group. Ann Morton, of the Bricket Wood Residents Association (BWRA), has argued at the

DEVELOPERS have ignored a substandard motorway junction in their traffic assessment for the massive rail freight terminal they want to build, according to a residents' group.

Ann Morton, of the Bricket Wood Residents' Association (BWRA), has argued at the public inquiry into Helioslough's plans for Green Belt land in Park Street that Junction 6 of the M1 has been overlooked in their traffic assessment.

In the document, the site's access to the M1 is shown to be at Junction 8, via the new Park Street bypass the developers plan to create and then the A414, which is the former M10.

But the southbound stretch of the motorway cannot be accessed from the A414 or exited at the junction, so the residents' association believes that associated vehicles will go along the busy A405 instead, cross the congested M25 roundabout and join the M1 at Junction 6.

Mrs Morton said that the single carriageway junction was "substandard" and explained that it unusually acted as both a slip road and a residential road.

She also pointed out that the junction operated as the M25-M1 interchange as there was no southerly connection between the two.

Worse still, BWRA believe that many light vehicles will use the Park Street bypass to travel south and access Smug Oak Lane, before going along Station Road and Mount Pleasant Lane in Bricket Wood to join the M1.

Helioslough's traffic assessment states that that a third of light vehicles will use the southern access of the bypass and travel towards Radlett but Mrs Morton explained that it did not show any traffic using Bricket Wood as a rat-run.

She said: "Given the convenience of the 'alternative route' to the M1 and availability of Sat-Nav, a significant proportion of drivers will use the local roads through Bricket Wood."

She added: "Bricket Wood is generally considered a pleasant and attractive place to live and the extra traffic will adversely affect the character and environment of our village tremendously.